Poverty Rates in Utah
Native Americans and Inner City Residents Hit Hardest by Poverty
With a poverty rate of 10.3%, Utah has the 36th highest poverty rate in the United States, a position it shares with Wyoming.
This is just slightly better than the poverty rate of Iowa, and just slightly higher than the poverty rate of Colorado.
Where the Worst Poverty in Utah Occurs
The highest poverty rates in Utah are found in both its major cities and in much more rural areas in southern counties.
A critical poverty rate (at least 50% above the state average) is found in only one county, San Juan, in the southeastern corner of the state.
San Juan is not only very rural land, but it is also home to many Native Americans living on Navajo reservations.
Critical poverty rates are also found in the following major cities (25,000 or more people):
- Logan (22.7%)
- Ogden (16.5%)
- Provo (26.8%)
Why the Worst Poverty in Utah Exists
Since the highest poverty rates in Utah occur in both rural Native American reservations and highly populated major cities, it is important to realize the reasons behind both.
For the critical poverty in Utah that occurs in very rural areas, it is important to consider the isolation problem that comes with rural life, especially when poor.
Some of the problems that come with an isolated rural life include slow emergency response, unpaved or neglected roads, limited access to utilities, vulnerability to the elements, and a lack of access to services like package or mail delivery and bussing.
When these already challenging obstacles of rural life are combined with the problem of isolation associated with Native American reservations, the isolation now multiplies to even greater degrees.
Native Americans living on these reservations often times feel forgotten, or pushed to the side, by the United States government.
There is a serious negative stigma associated with these reservations which makes it harder on the residents, suicide rates are extremely high, and they have little to no political voice.
In highly populated urban areas, on the other hand, the reasons behind large-scale poverty are very different.
In urban areas, people are completely reliant on the market for all of their most basic needs. These needs include things like food, shelter, health care, utilities, and education.
When the costs of these needs rise, but the minimum wage does not, pockets of poverty begin to form and expand within the city until some sort of private or public-sector investment in the area intervenes.
All of this aside, it is important to keep in mind that the reasons for poverty are as unique as the individuals who live through it. Though finding trends in a specific area is important, no generalization can account for everyone.
What is Being Done about Poverty in Utah
One organization working to help people living in poverty on the Navajo reservation of San Juan County is National Relief Charities, and more specifically, their Council of Indian Nations program.
National Relief Charities delivers food, and gives preference to the most remote areas of Native American reservations, such as parts of the Navajo reservation of southeastern Utah.
Other organizations helping in the more urban areas of Utah include Second Harvest, the Boys and Girls Club, Red Cross, United Way of Utah, Habitat for Humanity, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Also, legislators who worked to raise the minimum wage helped greatly in allowing the poorest families in Utah to be better able to sustain themselves once the higher minimum wage takes effect.
References:
United States Census Bureau
National Relief Charities Council of Indian Nations
